March 21, 2026, 1:55 p.m. ET
The 2026 NFL Draft is fastly approaching.
The NFL combine came and went. Free agency is in full swing. The New England Patriots have evaluated top prospects in the lead-up to the draft, while also making additions to their roster in the open market. With just over five weeks to go until the draft commences on April 23, the Patriots are widely projected to address their pass rush with the No. 31 overall pick.
According to Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt, the Patriots select Texas A&M defensive end Cashius Howell at No. 31 overall in his 2026 NFL mock draft 2.0.
“Howell’s gotten this knock for short arms,” Klatt said. “Just watch his tape, man. The guy was one of the more productive pass rushers in all of college football in a tough league. So, Howell for me makes a lot of sense with the Patriots, and in particular, with Vrabel, who is gonna like a guy like Howell. So Howell to the Patriots at 31.”
Howell went for 11.5 sacks as well as 14 tackles for loss in 2025. The Missouri native is one of the top prospects at defensive end in the 2026 NFL Draft class.
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